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(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 1A W. B. PHINNEY. MACHINE FOR GOATING GONPEGTIONERY.

No. 557,426. Patencted MaJrQBLJFBQ.

(No Model.) l1L'Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. Bl PHINNBY. MACHINE FOR GOATING GONFEUTIONERY.

No. 557,426. Pamantedv Mar. 31,1896.

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(No Model.)` 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. B. PHINNBY. l MACHINE FOR COATING CONFEGTIONERY. No. 557,426.

Patented Mar. 31, 1896.

ANDREW l-GIMMM4 PHOTO-UTHDAWASHINEDN. UC,

(No Model.) Y l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

y W. B. PHINNBY. MACHINE FOR UOATINGY-GONFBGTIONERY.

No. 557,4.255l Patented Mam.I 31, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAINI B. PIIINNEY, OF ROCHESTER, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ORRIN T. STACY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR COATING CONFECTIONERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,426, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed August 5, 1895. Serial No. 558,276. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. PHINNEY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Coating Confectionery; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming Io a part of this specification, and to the reference-letters marked thereon.

In the manufacture of candies, bonbons, rbc. which are provided with a coating, such as chocolate, it is desirable from a manufacturers standpoint that the coating applied to the candies shall be of sufficient thickness to effectually cover or seal the candy center or iilling and at the same time shall not be thicker than is necessary for this purpose, be-

zo cause as a rule the covering Inaterial, as chocolate, is much Inore expensive than the candy center or filling to be covered, and it is therefore desirable that just the right quantity for accomplishing the above purposes be applied and that the portion of the chocolate covering beyond what is necessary to accomplish the above results be saved; and the object of my present invention is to provide a machine that will accomplish these'results, which is 3o automatic in its operation and simple in construction; and to these ends the invention consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features 3 5 pointed out in the claims at the end of this specication.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with Iny invention; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the machine looking from the rear corner; Fig. 4, a vertical sectional view on the line 4 4L of Fig. l; Fig. 5,

a top plan view; Fig. 6, a sectional view on the line G 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7, a horizontal sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. I; Fig. S, a detail sectional view on'the line 8 8 of Fig. 5; Fig. 9, a perspective view of a detail; Fig. 10,

5o a perspective view of a tray.

Similar reference-letters in the several iigures indicate similar parts.

A indicates the base-frame of the machine,

Aprovided with the supporting-legs A and a Wooden 0r other heat-non-conducting table or 55 platform A2 supporting a receptacle B, adapted to contain chocolate or other coating material. This receptacle B is provided with a chamber B around it, adapted to contain vwater or other fluid, which is heated by means 6o of a steam or hot-water coil B2 arranged in said chamber, the ends of said coil being connected by pipes Bs and B4 with a heatingcoil C arranged in a jacket C', preferably beneath the base of the machine and heated by means of a gas-burner C2 or other suitable appliance, the steam generated or the water heated in the coil O circulating through the coil B2 and heatingthe water, which will keep the contents of the receptacle B of the proper 7o consistency.

Suitable couplings D are provided for connecting the steam-coil directly with the steam plant of a factory if it is desired to use the machine in such position that this can be con- 7 5 veuiently done, and in this event the circulation through the'coil O is cut off by means of valves D but I prefer to provide the separate steam-generating devices O to enable the machine to be used in any position desired. 8o The vertical pipes Cs O3 have funnels C4 at their upper ends for filling, and serve as eX- pansion-chambers for the water in the jacket.

The operating parts of the machine are supported upon a frame extending over the choco- S5 late-receptacle and having the side standards E E and at the top a platform or frame E@ Arranged on the under side of the platform E' and at one side of the center of the machine is a guide or way F, in which operates 9o a reciprocating slide F' carrying a tray-dipper. Attached to the lower end of the slide is a spider or frame F2, and through the arms of this spider pass bolts f having hand-nuts f at their upper ends and carrying at their lower ends two horizontally-extending bars or plates f2, constituting a support for a tray- G, (shown in Figs. I and 2,) said tray being' composed of a frame having cross -wires formed into pockets for containing the candy Ioo molds or forms to be coated, as shown in Fig. 10. Projecting from the front of the slide F is a bolt G, upon which are pivoted two levers G2 G2, the short arms of the levers being provided with studs g entering grooves g', formed in the sides of the guide F, while the outer ends of said levers are provided with pivoted blocks h, through which pass rods 7L pivoted at their lower ends to a candy-retainer Il' extending over the tray-support f2. This retainer H is composed of an open, and preferably rectangular, frame adapted when the tray G is upon the support to hold it, if desired, and having cross-wires j passing above the candies supported in the pockets of said tray and preventing them from floating out when the tray containing them is dipped beneath the chocolate or othercoating contained in the receptacle B. The supporting-rods for the retainer II are threaded at their upper ends, and upon such threaded portions, on opposite sides of the blocks h, are arranged adjusting-nuts h and h2, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, for the purpose of adj usting the retainer for candies or trays of different thickness. The studs on the ends of the levers G2 and the slots g in the guide F are so arranged that when the slide is moved downward the levers will be turned on their pivots and the frame Il will first be moved down in close proximity to the candies in the tray, and as the downward motion of the slide continues the tray and its contents will be dipped beneath the surface of the liquid coating and will then be raised up to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the upward movement of the retainer Il being caused by the projections on the levers and the slots in the guides. If desired, the frame II could serve as a clamp an d directly engage the tray; but, as the trays are made of heavy material, this is not necessary, as the principal function is to prevent the candies from becoming displaced.

In the present construction this downward motion of the tray-clipper is accomplished by means of a cam J mounted upon a shaft J supported in suitable bearings J 2 on the platform E. Vith the groove in the cam coperates a stud or roller 7c on the end of an upwardly-extendin g arm F3 attached to the slide F, and the cam is so shaped that, although the shaft J is revolving continuously, the dipping frame will be sustained in upper position, as shown, for a greater portion of the revolution of the shaft J, while the stud k is in the concentric portion 7c', the falling and rising of the tray-frame being accomplished by the portion k2 of the cam-track, which is eccentric. The shaft J is driven by means of a worm-wheel K secured thereto, with which cooperates a worm K on a shaft K2, to which motion is communicated by beveled gears K3 from a driving-shaft Kl having suitable beltpulleys K5 thereon and supported in suitable bearings on the platform E.

Arranged upon the opposite side of the machine, but above the coating-receptacle B, is a vibratory frame having a tray support adapted to receive the trays containing the coated candies and to vibrate the same rapidly, so as to remove from the coated candies the surplus coating of chocolate, returning the latter to the receptacle. This frame embodies the two ways or lower bars L connected to a vibratory frame-actuator in the form of a slide M operating in a suitable guide M projecting from the under side of the platform E', said slide beingadapted to be reciprocated by means of a pitman M2 pivoted to its yupper end and to a, wrist-pin M3 on a shaft M4 having a driving belt-pulley M5, as shown in Figs. 4: and 6. The loose connection between the slide M and the yoke carrying the tray-frame is formed in the present instance by forming a central recess in the slide, in which is arranged a block N having a downwardly-projecting stud N', to which the yokeframe is secured by a nut n, the upper end of said block having a stud N2 entering a recess in the lower end of an adjusting-screw O, a spring O being arranged between the end of the stud N2 and the bottom of said recess,while the upper end of the bolt is threaded and has upon it a locking-nut O2 abutting against the under side of the upper portion of the slide M.

P indicates a suitable packing, preferably of rawhide or similar material, arranged between the under side of the block N and the lower portion of the actuator or slide M, the connection of the parts being such that as the slide is reciprocated rapidly by the means described the tray-frame will be carried up with it and its upward momentum will be arrested by the sprin g O', and then, as it falls, it will be arrested by the packing P, diminishing the noise and causing a sudden jerk to the tray,which I nd is essential to remove the surplus coating from the candies in the best manner. It will be understood that these reciprocating motions are very rapid, there being several hundred a minute. The tension of the spring O can be readily changed by adjusting the bolt O in the slide and securing it in adjusted position by means of the set-nut O2.

In order that the downward movement of the reciprocating tray-support may be cushioned and the intensity of the jar regulated as may be found best, I attach to the yoke L2, on opposite sides of the center, springlinks each composed of two sections L3 L", with a spring L5 between them, the upper link-sections L1 being adjustable relative to the upper frame by means of thumb-nuts Z2, as shown in Figs. 3 and G.

It is of course necessary that the tray be clamped to the reciprocating support during the movement of the latter, and, while this may be accomplished in a variety of ways, I prefer to employ a frame P', sliding vertically upon bolts L and having cross-wires p, constituting a candy-retainer, for preventing the IOO IIO

candies coming out of the pockets in the tray, and small lugs p', preferably in the form of screws, at the sides adapted to engage the upper sides of the tray when the clamp-frame is moved down.

The vertical movements of the clamp-frame are caused by two screws P2 passing through suitably-threaded apertures in the ends of the yoke L2 and connected at their lower ends to the side bars of the tray-clamp P, so as to revolve therein, but when rotated in one direction operating to raise said clamp and release the tray and when rotated in the opposite direction to clamp said tray tightly to the support, and the upper ends of these screws are provided with pulleys P5, having pins p2 thereon, and are connected by a perforated belt P4 extending around both said pulleys and causing their simultaneous operation in either direction to raise or lower the tray-clamping frame relative to the tray-supports L. This belt may be moved in opposite directions by hand to clamp or release the tray; but as l prefer to make the machine automatic l connect to this belt by suitable pins or rivets q a slide Q, arranged upon a rod or way Q extending between the uprights or standards E F., said slide having a pin q operating in slots in the bifurcated end of a lever Q2, pivoted at Q5 to a bracket on the upper frame, and having at its upper end a small projection or roller q2, arranged to be engaged by adjustable cam-sections Q4 and Q5, formed. upon or secured to a camwheel Q6 on the shaft J. The arrangement of the cam-sections is such that when the cam-wheel Q6 is rotated section Q4 will cause the lever to be moved in one direction to cause the belt to operate the screws and clamp the tray to t-he carrier, and the camsections will operate the lever in the opposite direction, moving the screws in the opposite direction and raising the clampingframe and releasing the tray, as will be described farther on.

The shaft M4 is driven by a belt R passing around the pulley M5 and another suitable driving-pulley, said belt being normally loose, but adapted to be tightened to operate the shaft M4 by means of a belt-tightener embodying an idler-pulley R', mounted upon the end of an arm R2 attached to a rock-shaft R5 on the top of the frame E, and attached to the other end of said rock-shaft is an arm R4, having a swiveled nut R5 with which engages a screw RG passing through a block R7 mounted on an arm R5, the lower end of the last-mentioned arm being sleeved loosely on the rock-shaft, while the upper end is provided with a roller R5, adapted to cooperate with the surface of a cam S, secured to the shaft J, said cam having a section S pivoted at s and with its free end adjustable toward and from the shaft, so as to change the shape of the cam slightly, and secured in adjustable position by means of a bolt s operating through a slot s2 on one arm of the cam-wheel S. Also mounted upon the arm R2 is a brakepad S5, adapted to cooperate at certain times with the pulley M5 to arrest the rotation of the latter when the belt is slackened. From this construction it will be seen that at certain times during the rotation ofthe shaft .l the cam-Wheel S will, through the parts described, operate the shaft R3 and tighten the belt R on the pulley M5, causing the vibratory tray-carrying frame to be operated in the manner described, the length of this operation depending on the size of the cam S, and that when the roller R9 drops 0E the end of the cam and projects in close proximity to the shaft J the belt will be loosened and thebrake-pad S5 will engage the edge of the pulley M5, arresting its motion, and the Weight of the parts will hold the vibratory tray-frame inits lowermost position, as shown particularly in Fig. 4. The belt-tightener may be adjusted to give the required tension to the belt by means of the set-screw R5 changing the position'of the arm RS with relation to the arm R2, attached rigidly to the shaft R5.

Operating in the bottom of the tank or chocolate-receptacle B is a vibrating stirrer T having blades T at intervals in its length and secured to the lower end of a vertical rock-shaft T2, journalcd in suitable bearings in the upper frame and having upon its upper end an arm T8 connected by a link Tit with one arm of a bell-crank lever T5, the other arm of which is connected by a link Ti with the lower end of a lever T7 (pivoted to a standard T8 on the frame) and provided with a projection or roller entering a cam-groove T9 in the periphery of the cam-wheel Q, which, as before stated, is attached to the shaft J. From this it will be seen that when the cam-wheel Q6 is rotated the lever T7 will be vibrated, and through the parts described the stirrer or agitator T will be moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 to that shown in dotted lines in said figure, agitating the chocolate or coating material and keeping it of the proper consistency.

lnasmuch as the the guides or ways F and M should be lubricated, I provide upon the under side of the slides F and M cups X adapted to receive any oil dripping from the ways and preventing its falling into the receptacle B.

The operation of the machine will now be apparent.

Assuming the receptacle B to be partially lledwith chocolate or other material with which the candies are to be coated, and the two tray-carrying frames H and L in the position shown in Fig. 4, which is the normal position of the machine, and the tray-carriers being in alinement, the operator now slides a tray containing the uncoated candies upon the tray-supporting bars f2, and the various cams and operating parts are so timed as to produce the following operationsy in the sequence noted: As the cam J revolves the slide F descends, the irst portion of the IOO IIO

movement causing the frame II to move down over the tray and prevent the candies from floating out of the pockets therein. Then the eccentric portion k2 causes said tray to be dipped beneath the surface of the chocolate, coating the candies, and the tray-support is then raised to normal position and held there by the concentric portion 7c of the cam-J', and the last portion of the upward movement of the slide F lifts the retainer II to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The operator stationed at the front of the machine noW pushes the tray from the dipping carrier onto the vibratory tray-support L, as the tivo are then in line, as shown in Fig. 4, and the cam-section J 4 operates the lever Q2, causing the downward movement of the tray-clamp I to clamp the tray to the vibratory tray* support L, and as soon as this clamping operation has been completed the eam-wheel S operates the belt-tightener and causes the rapid rotation of the pulley M5, and the viw bration of the tray, through the means described, shaking the surplus chocolate from the coated drops back into the receptacle B. Meantime, and as soon as the dipping traysupport F2 has arisen above the surface of the chocolate in the receptacle, the camgroove T9 operates the lever T7, causing the stirrer T to move from its position at the side to the end of the receptacle (the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7) and then back to normal position. (Shown in full lines in said iigure.) When the roller R9 reaches the end of the cam S, the belt-tightener Will be released and the brake applied to the pulley M5, arresting the motion of the vibratorytraycarrier, and at this time the cam-section Q5 actuates the lever Q2 and releases the trayclamp, permitting the operator to remove the tray from the vibratory carrier and transfer the candies, from Which the surplus coating has been shaken, to the oiled paper or trays in the usual manner and send them to the cooling-room. After the stirrer T has returned to normal position, and preferably7 a short time before the vibration of the vibratory tray-support has ceased, the next downward movement of the dipping tray-support has been accomplished and another tray of candies has been dipped and the two carriers are again inline, so that the second tray may be pushed from the dipper to the vibratory carrier and the operations accomplished as before. It will thus be seen that the operation of the machine is continuous, and it is only necessary for one operator to supply trays of uncoated candies to the dipping carrier, then to move them to the vibratory carrier, from whence they are removed by a second operator after having had the surplus coating removed by shaking.

Of course, instead of timing the parts exactly, as described, the arrangement of the cams can be varied, as desired, it being sufficient that the dipping and vjibratory carriers be arrested, so that the trays may be trans ferred from one to the other and the operation of the machine be continuous.

From a practical use of this machine I iin d that the candies may be coated evenly Without Waste of material, and the machine, being entirely automatic, only requires the application of trays of uncoated candies and the removal of the trays of coated ones.

In order that the temperature of the coating material may be accurately determined, I arrange in the stirrer T a pocket for receiving a removable thermometer V, which the attendant can remove and consult when the stirrer is at the position of rest at the side of the receptacle, as in full lines in Fig. 7.

It will be understood that other means for actuating the various removable parts could be employed, and I do not therefore desire to be confined to the details of construction shown herein.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with a receptacle for coating material, of a verticallymovable traydipper arranged over the receptacle, and an independent vertieally-operating vibratory tray-support also arranged over the receptacle and in proximity to the dipping frame so that trays may be transferred from the dipper to the vibratory tray-support, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a receptacle for eoatingmaterial,of a vertically-movable traydipper arranged over the receptacle and actuating mechanism therefor, a vibratory traysupport, and an operating mechanism therefor, and controlling devices, as cams, for controlling the actuating mechanisms and causing the arrest of the dipper and vibratory frame when in line With each other to permit the transfer of a tray from one to the other, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a receptacle for coating material, a vertically-movable traydippcr arranged over the receptacle, and actu ating mechanism therefor, and a movable candy-retainer on the dipper, of a Vibratory tray-support arranged beside the dipper, a movable tray-clamp and candy-retainer on the latter, and actuating mechanism for vibrating the tray-support, substantially as described.

4t, The combination with the receptacle for coating material, a vertically-movable traydi pper arranged over the receptacle and aetnating mechanism therefor, a vibratory traysupporting frame beside the dipper and aetuating' mechanism therefor, of a stirrer and actuating mechanism therefor, and controlling devices, as cams, for controlling said actuating mechanisms and operating to cause the arrest of the dipper and tray-support when in juxtaposition, and to permit the movement of the stirrer when the dipper is out of the receptacle, substantially as described.

5. In a coating-machine, the combination ICO IIO

with the receptacle, the movable dipper adapted to support a tray, of the retainer vertically movable toward and from the tray, levers pivoted upon and movable with the dipper and links connecting them with the res tainer, and the stationary cams with which the levers cooperate to cause the retainer to move toward and from the tray as the clipper is operated, substantially as described.

G. The combination of the receptacle, the movable dipper, the crossed levers pivot-ed on the clipper, the vertically-movable candyretainer, the links connecting it with the levers and the stationary cams having the straight and curved portions for moving the levers when the dipper is actuated, substantially as described.

7. In a coating-machine, the combination with a coating-receptacle and a verticallyoperating vibratory slide, of a frame carried by the slide and having a tray-support thereon, the buffer arranged between the under side of the frame and the slide, and the spring between the slide and frame for holding the latter in engagement with the buffer, substantially as described.

8. In a coating-machine, the combination with a coating-receptacle, a vertically-operating vibratory slide, of a frame carried by the slide and having a tray-support thereon, the buffer arranged between the under side of the frame and the slide, and the spring arranged between the slide and frame, and means for adjusting its tension, substantially as described.

9. In a coating-machine, the combination with a coating-receptacle, and the verticallyoperating vibratory slide having the recess therein, the block in the recess, and the traysupport attached to the block, the buffer between the under side of the block and the slide, the adjusting-screw and set-nut and the spring between the screw and block, substantially as described.

10. In a coating-machine, the combination with the main frame, the receptacle and the vibratory slide, the frame having a tray-carrier thereon loosely supported upon the slide, and the adjustable supporting-springs connected to the main frame and to the traycarrier frame, substantially as described.

11. In a coating-machine, the combination with the vibratory frame having the traysupport, of the tray-clamp on the frame having the cross-wires, and positively-operating devices for moving the clamp up and down to cause it to engage and hold the tray during the vibration of the frame, substantially as described.

12. In a coating-machine, the combination with the vibratory frame having the traysupport, of the tray-clamp thereon, and the screws for raising and lowering the tray-clamp connected for simultaneous operation, substantially as described.

18. In a coating-machine, the combination with the main frame and the vibratory frame having` the tray-support, and actuating devices for said vibratory frame, of the trayclamp thereon, a cam,`and positively-operating connections substantially as described between said cam and the tray-clamp for operatin g the latter positively at predetermined times in a direction to clamp and hold the tray and also at other times to release it, and connections between the frame-actuating devices and the cam, substantially as described.

14. In a coating-machine, the combination with the main frame, and the vibratory frame having the tray-support, of the tray-clamp on the vibratory frame, the screws for operating the clamp relative to the support, and connections between them, the lever for actuating the screws, and a cam for moving the lever at predetermined times to clamp and release a tray, substantially as described.

15. In a coating-machine, the combination with the main frame, and the vibratory frame having the tray-support, of the tray-clamp on the vibratory frame, the screws for operating the clamp, the belt connecting them, the slide connected to the belt, the lever and the cam, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the receptacle, the dipper, the vibratory frame having a traysupport, and actuating mechanism for vibrating the vibratory frame, of the cam for moving the dipper, the cam connected to the firstmentioned one, and devices, as a belt-tightener, and brake operated upon by the lastmentioned cam, for controlling the operation IOO of the actuating mechanism of the vibratory Jframe, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the receptacle, the vibratory frame having the tray-support, and actuating mechanism for vibrating said frame, and a controlling device, such as a belt-tightener, of an adjustable cam operating said tightener, whereby the duration of the movement of the vibratory frame can be regulated as desired, substantially as described.

18. The combination with the main frame, and the receptacle, the vertically-movable dipper, and the cam for actuating it, the vibratory tray-support having a tray-clamp thereon, actuating mechanism for said traysupport, and controlling devices, as a cam and belttightener, connected to the iirstmentioned cam for causing the relative movements of the dipper and vibratory frame, substantially as described.

WILLIAM B. PHINNEY.

Witnesses 1 F. F. CHURCH, GRACE A. RODA.

IIO 

